Process for protecting materials of keratin composition



Patented J... 11, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PROCESS FOR PROTECTING MATERIALS OF KERATIN COMPOSITION Harry Humfeld and James H. Kettering,

Arlington, Va., and Ruth E. Elmquist, Wash ington, D. (3.; dedicated to the free use of the People of the United States of America No Drawing. I Application June 29, 1937, Serial No. 150,930

2 Claims. (01. 21-4) (Granted under the act or March 3', 1883, as

amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) We hereby dedicate the invention herein described to the free use of the People ofthe United States of America to take efiect on the granting of a patent to us.

This invention relates to a method for sterilizing and disinfecting textile and other fibrous materials of animal origin.

At the present time, no satisfactory method is available for this purpose. Our invention is a I new and valuable process consisting of the use of Stoddard solvent in conjunction with heat for sterilizing fabrics and other fibrous materials of animal origin. The process is also valuable for sterilizing raw textile materials such as wool, mohair, bristle, horse-hair, silk, shoddy, and other natural and ,artificial textile materials largely protein in nature and articles which may be manufactured from them.

Since the Stoddard solvent employed in the dry cleaning industry may be used in our procedure, household and institutional textiles and articles of clothing can 'be cleaned and sterilized in one operation by our process. Stoddard solvent also is valuable for degreasing purposes, such as removing fats from raw wool during scouring. By our process raw wool can be degreased and sterilized in one-operation.

This method of scouring may avoid. all danger I from animal borne infectious diseases.

Stoddard solvent is a petroleum fraction distilling between approximately 300 and 410 F.

Such a fraction is usually referred to as mineral spirits and is extensively used iii the dry cleaning industry.

As specific examples, we may use the follow-- ing procedures:

We -immerse the material to be sterilized in Stoddard solvent and subject the immersed substance to a temperature of 275 F. for 1 hour, or

of 250 F. for 2 hours, or of 212 F. for 12 hours.

We then take the material from the solvent and remove the excess liquid by standard dry cleaning methods, by washing in alcohol and then in water, or by evaporating in a current of warm We do not restrict ourselves to the particular sufficient period of time is used. The conditions producing minimal damage may be selected from the data presented.

As further proof of the value of our invention, we submit the following data: 5

Breaking strength, thread count, and index of two fabrics sterilized by means of Stoddard solvent and water Breaking Thread Matenal Treatment Strength count Index Pounds Pounds Number per yarn Control 52. 0 7e. 3 0. 69 Stoddard solvent for 12 15 s. at 21 F 51.1 74.0 .50 Wool Stoddard solvent for l hr. at275 F 51.8 77.0 .07 Waterlor 12 hrs. at 212 1 r 40.4 81:0 .50 Waterior1hr.at275 F 0.0 95.4 .00

Control 69. 2 56. 5 1. 22 Stoddard solvent for 12 hrs. at 212 F 66, 0 58.1 1.14 Stoddard solvent [or 2 hrs. at 250 72. 0 5s. 1 1. 24 Stoddard solvent lor'l Silk hr.at275 F 60.0 57.1 1.05 25 Water for 12 hrs. at 212 r 57.7 59.0 .98 Water for 2 hrs. at 250 F 04.3 59.0 1.00 Water for 1 hr. at 275" 1 F 57.0 5058 .05

Samples of these fabrics were inoculated with a heavy spore suspension of Bacillus mesentericus, one of the most resistant spore formers known. They were then sterilized by the treatments described above. when the fabric samples were placed on nutrient agar andincubated, they were found to be sterile.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim for Letters Patent is:

1. A process for protecting fibrous materials of keratin composition, which comprises subjectmg said materials to the action of heat ranging from 212 F. to 275 F. for periods from 12 to 1 hours, the while immersedin Stoddard solvent, 45

thence removing the excess liquid therefrom.

2. A process for protecting wool, which com-- prises subjecting said materials to the action of heat ranging from 212 F. to 275 F. for periods from 12110 1 hours, the while immersed in Stod- 50 dard solvent, thence removing the excess liquid Y therefrom.

HARRY HUMFELD. JAMES H. KETTERING.

RUTH E. ELMQUIS'I'. 56 

